Will Driscoll is in his adolescence – halfway between innocence and adulthood – and this is where he is most vulnerable, and where Megan intervenes most strongly.

It starts with an offer of sports coaching.

But the deeper the viewer sees, the more it becomes clear that this is no longer a simple coaching relationship.

Maggie – Will’s grandmother – is very concerned about her grandson, but worried that Will will move to Hull, she proactively proposes a deal: pay Megan to stay in Weatherfield and coach Will several times a week.

It sounds reasonable on the surface, but on the inside it puts Will in a position of becoming increasingly dependent on Megan – not just for skills but also for affection and attention.

Megan – according to the actress who plays Beth Nixon – is extremely unstable internally. She needs to feel loved, cared for, and is prone to clinging to inexperienced young people like Will. Not the obvious villain, but the type of person who uses his vulnerability to make others willingly enter the vortex.

Will is the type of “young person who is gullible”. He sees Megan as an idol, a guide, someone who understands him. The feeling of respect for teachers mixed with admiration makes Will gradually ignore the boundaries. As soon as Will tells Ben that he wants to follow Megan to Hull to develop his sports career, the audience immediately understands that Will is being led by emotions rather than reason.

Meanwhile, Megan is like a puppeteer: she listens, comforts, shares personal stories just enough to create a connection, but always stands one step ahead of Will – making him feel like trying to “catch up” with her. It is the type of connection that is emotionally manipulative.

Maggie’s intervention inadvertently complicates the story, because paying Megan makes the already fragile relationship official. Megan has a legal right to be near Will, and Will has reason to believe it’s all reasonable.